Cultural policies and measures - Best practices

The UNESCO San José Office in cooperation with UNESCO Mexico and UNESCO Guatemala, the University of Costa Rica - through its Development Observatory, the Research Center on Cultural Latin-American Identity (CIICLA) and the Social Action Vice-chancellor – and the General Secretary of the Educational Coordination and Central American Culture (CECC), organized the Subregional Seminar on "Cultural Indicators in Central America", that took place in San José, Costa Rica, from 6 to 8 September 2005.

The main objective of this event were to determine the viability to form a nation-wide cultural indicators system with a sub regional perspective. The most recent reference document in the subject is the study on "Cultural Indicators in Central America", elaborated by UNESCO during the first semester in 2005. This study was a joint effort of an interdisciplinary Mesoamerican experts team conformed by Dr. Alfonso Castellanos, the study Coordinator (Director of the Information Unity, Analysis and Prospective of CONACULTURA, México), Dr. Edgar Gutiérrez Espeleta (Director of the Development Observatory, Costa Rica), Dr. Mario Mejía (former Director of the Planning Department, Secretary of Arts, Culture and Sports, Honduras), as well as the participation of the professional assistance of Mrs. Alejandra Hernández (Economics) and Paola Omodeo (Statistics).

The meeting will favor a valuable national and sub regional experiences exchange, in order to determine the framework for a national and cultural indicators system with a sub regional perspective: common taxonomy, inter-institutional and inter-agencies cooperation, etc.

The expected results are: a) Study: "Cultural Indicators in Central America" validation (UNESCO, 2005); b) The proper analysis of the recommendations resulting from the study; Data recollection improvement; The set of an initial web of focal points relating to supplier-user information in those official institutions and others interested or fit in the subject; Creation of favorable conditions towards a sub regional cooperation & development cultural indicators system in Central America.

The Seminar is considered as part of the technical assistance process that the UNESCO Office is preparing for the Educational Coordination and Central American Culture.